The Dipsea Race:First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in America. It is run every year on the second Sunday in June. The scenic 7.4 mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The stairs and steep trails make it a grueling and treacherous race. And its unique handicapping system has made winners of men and women of all ages. Because of its beauty and challenge, it is a very popular event, and because of safety and environmental concerns the number of runners is limited to about 1,500. While racers enter from all over the world, the Dipsea is primarily a Northern California event and the entry process is tilted slightly to favor local contestants. Please see the section on How To Enter for details.

The 107th Annual Dipsea will be run on Sunday, June 11th, 2017 at 8:30 am sharp!

Latest News:

Sausalito Winterfest Jingle Bells 5K Run on December 11:
Family members of all ages are invited to participate in the Third Annual Jingle Bells 5K and Kids Fun Run on Sunday, December, 11, starting at 8:30 a.m. along a picturesque waterfront course in Sausalito. The event, which includes a post-race brunch, is co-sponsored by the Dipsea Race Foundation and the Sausalito On The Waterfront Foundation to benefit the Dipsea Kidz program. Click Here for more informationPosted Thu 08 Dec 2016 5:50pm

Riley the "Dipsea Dog" Honored on Dipsea Steps: This is the time of year that we traditionally count our blessings and give our thanks. This then is the perfect time to tell you about a caring man and an inspirational dog and how the Dipsea Trail and Dipsea Race connects them. This is not a dog and pony show. After Thanksgiving, Craig Sultan of Mill Valley has invited a group of close friends to meet with him at the bottom of the second flight of the famed Dipsea Stairs for a special ceremony for his dog, Riley. Click Here to read the full story!Posted Wed 23 Nov 2016 1:25pm

Dipsea Race Day Photos!: Tina Humphrey has posted hundreds of photos from Dipsea race day, including photos at the start, at the finish, and at the award ceremony. You can see them here!Posted Sun 26 Jun 2016 6:20pm

Video of Top 100 Dipsea Finishers: Paul and Tina Berensmeier shared this video of the first 100 finishers of this year's Dipsea Race!

Posted Thu 16 Jun 2016 8:57pm

Preliminary Results are up!: The preliminary results for the 2016 Dipsea Race have been posted here: Click here for the resultsPosted Sun 12 Jun 2016 8:43pm

Congrats to Brian Pilcher!: Congratulations to Brian Pilcher for winning his third Dipsea Race! And great job to all of our finishers!Posted Sun 12 Jun 2016 11:21am

Bib Pickup Location Change: Please be advised that the location of the Saturday Runner Pickup & Retail has changed and WILL NOT be at the Acqua Hotel as stated in previously. The new pickup location information is as follows:

We encourage runners to pick-up your runner packets early and avoid the Sunday morning rush. There will also be commemorative clothing items for sale, the proceeds of which benefits the race.

If you are running the race this year, please make sure you review all the information on the Runners Information Page.Posted Sat 04 Jun 2016 4:50pm

Final Chance to Sponsor a Step: The Dipsea Race Foundation is in the final stages of renovating the famed Dipsea Stairs. There are approximately 200 steps needing repair on the second flight that are available for sponsorship.Click here to read more!Bumped Tue 26 Apr 2016 10:38pm

Dipsea: The Greatest Race, Centennial Edition: The Centennial edition of Dipsea: The Greatest Race, by official Race historian Barry Spitz, is a must for all who love the Dipsea. Completely revised from the original 1993 version, with new tables and photographs, many in color, the book tells the story of all 100 Dipseas, with supplements for 2011-2015. Results go up to 100 deep, so your name may be in it! Go to DipseaBook.com to order.Bumped Sat 23 Apr 2016 7:21pm

Jerry Hauke passes away: The Dipsea Race Committee and the Dipsea Race Foundation mourn the loss of Dipsea Hall of Famer and DRF Emeritus Director Jerry Hauke – a Dipsea legend and the man most responsible for saving the historic trail race from possible extinction.

Jerry died in his sleep on Thursday at his home in Weaverville.

“This is a difficult loss for all of us. Jerry's enthusiasm for life was contagious,” says Merv Regan, longtime chair of the Dipsea Race Committee and Dipsea Race Foundation. “I met him about 36 years ago when I jumped in and volunteered to help him and Bob Knez. When there was a lull, I asked what they were raising the money for. Bob said for the Dipsea Race. I asked `What's the Dipsea Race?’ Jerry was shocked. He said, `You don't know about the Dipsea Race? You have to come to a meeting!’ The rest is history. I will miss my friend. We all will.”

Jerry was a member of the Mill Valley Falls Arts Festival who created the Dipsea Beer Booth in Old Mill Park. In 1963, as a member of the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce (later known as MV Jaycees), Jerry stepped in to rescue the race after the previous race organizing group withdrew its sponsorship. Jerry also intervened in 1977 when the town of Stinson Beach and County of Marin threatened to end the race if changes were not made.

Hauke led construction of an alternate trail on the race route – dubbed Hauke Hollow – and has a Dipsea Race award – the Red Tail Hawk Award, also named the Jerry Hauke Perpetual Award for Sportsmanship, Leadership, and Dedication– named after him. Hauke Park in Mill Valley also is named in Jerry’s honor.

Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the Hauke Family. A memorial service is pending.Posted Fri 15 Apr 2016 6:41pm

The Dipsea Application Period is Over!: The deadline has passed, and we cannot accept any more applications for the 2016 Dipsea Race. We are hoping to post the list of entrants by mid-April.Posted Mon 04 Apr 2016 7:57pm

Head Starts for 2016 Announced: We have posted the Head Start Table for the 2016 Dipsea Race. There will be no change to the head starts from last year. See the Head Starts page for more details.Posted Mon 14 Mar 2016 8:18pm

"How to Enter" page updated: The How To Enter Page has been updated for the 2016 Dipsea Race. Please note that, due to increasing permit, transportation, equipment and rising general race operations costs, the Dipsea Race this year, for the first time in five years, regretfully is raising its individual entry fee to $90 for adults and $60 for children 16 & underPosted Wed 13 Jan 2016 7:57pm

Video of Jack Kirk and the Dipsea Trail: Thanks to Hoka One One for a remarkable story about the Dipsea Race and the late, great Jack Kirk, a.k.a. "The Dipsea Demon" plus incredible views of the Dipsea Trail in its production of "San Francisco: Top Trails" on Runnerspace.com. The 16-minute video begins with ultrarunners Larisa Dannis and Magdalena Boulet talking about the trail and concludes in the final five minutes with a history of the Dipsea Race and the legend of Kirk!!! Here is link to full story ... http://bit.ly/1joJIhIPosted Sun 29 Nov 2015 10:14pm

Brian Pilcher Wins the 2015 Dipsea Race: In the 105th Dipsea Pilcher, a retired real estate financer from Ross, outran the field of 1,500 runners on the 7.4-mile course from downtown Mill Valley to Stinson Beach to win the historic trail race. Click Here to read the rest of the storyPosted Mon 31 Aug 2015 9:55pm

Fox Sisters Win Dipsea Demon Award: Longtime Dipsea runners and volunteers Sharon and Colleen Fox were named the winners of the Jack “Demon Dipsea” Kirk Award for “dedication, perseverance and performance over time.” The sisters’ history with the Dipsea dates back to the 1920s when they great aunt Minnie participated in the Dipsea women’s hike. Click Here to read the rest of the story.Posted Mon 31 Aug 2015 9:52pm

The Results are Up!: The preliminary results for today's race have been posted. There will probably be some changes over the next few days, so these results aren't considered "Final" until we say so. Click Here to view the results

Barry Spitz to be Inducted into the Dipsea Hall of Fame: Barry Spitz will be inducted into the Dipsea Hall of Fame at the Dipsea Race Foundation’s Hall of Fame dinner on June 12th. To read the whole story, click here.(Marin Independent Journal photo)Posted Sat 02 May 2015 12:38pm

How To Get In The Dipsea If You Can't Get In The Dipsea...: Many Dipsea runners and Dipsea wanna-be runners have lamented the fact that it's so difficult to get into the race. So we've written a short essay on how to improve your chances of getting into the race.Posted Tue 15 Jan 2013 10:16pm

Results Database online: Dipsea fan David Bronstein has created a great resource for the Dipsea website: a searchable results database with all of the Dipsea results from 1996 to present. Check it out here.Posted Sat 28 Apr 2012 10:09pm

We're on Facebook: If you're on Facebook, check out our page there and become a fan of the race to get up-to-the-minute updates to your news feed. Click Here to become a fan!

Answers to your questions: We've added a Frequently Asked Questions page to the website which addresses most of the questions we get throughout the year.

Marin Independent Journal Coverage: Once again, the Marin Independent Journal has complete coverage of the Dipsea Race in print and on its Web site, www.marinij.com. On race day, check the site for complete results, a photo slideshow and up-to-the-minute commentary and analysis from Mill Valley, Stinson Beach and all points in between.

Past Race Info Now Available: Ever wonder how fast you need to run to qualify for Invitational? Or how far out of your grasp one of those spiffy black shirts are? Or perhaps you just want to find out how "elite" a Dipsea finisher really is... Well, your prayers have been answered, as we've added a table of historical times to the Previous Races page.